Made in Taiwan or Germany?

Doug Zielke · 12-28-2001, 07:39 AM

Well, the Blue Bomber's winter tune-up is all but done. Including a brand new Bosch fuel pump, almost all of the work went without a hitch.
Almost....

Yesterday, I went to install a new fuel filter. Nothing special, right? Wrong!
When I started the motor to check the work, the top fitting on the new filter was spraying raw gasoline everywhere!
Looks like the new fuel pump had some serious pressure, eh?

Luckily, I got the motor shut down before we got toasted, but I was pissed. I couldn't tighten the fittings any more if I tried. Dazed and confused, I rattled off a quick e-mail to Seattle's Best P-wrench, John Walker.
As you all know, JW is always generous with good information. I was lucky he was in front of his keyboard, as he responded at once.

Of all the tips he suggested, one did the trick and saved the Blue Bomber from a crispy end.
John told me to exchange the top fitting from the old filter and put it on the new one. Now, why couldn't I think of that? Thank you JW, you can set up a shop in Vancouver anytime!

Moral of the story:
After carefully inspecting the leaky fitting from the new filter, one could see that it was poorly machined. It would never have sealed under any circumstances.
TIP: Remove and save your old (non-leaking) filter fittings, just incase.
Which begs the question:
It says "Made in Germany" on the box...but was it REALLY made in Taiwan??

rvanderpyl · rvanderpyl's Garage

Was it made in Taiwan?

Probably not, it wouldn't have leaked if it had been, now if it was made in China.....

I suppose that there is still some cheap stuff made in Taiwan, however their wages and factorys are actually getting too expensive for the really cheap stuff to be made their anymore, in fact most of he worlds advanced electronics and computer componenets come from factorys in Taiwan. China has pretty well taken over the role of the supplier of low grade items.

Doug Zielke · 12-28-2001, 07:58 AM

Mmmm....I "had" a 6" bench vise that was clearly marked Made in Taiwan. One day, I was tightening it down on a chunk of pipe I wanted to saw. The vise jaw broke off with a resounding c-r-a-c-k!
Guess that's why I still don't recognize Taiwan as a maker of quality goods.

Jim Sims · 12-28-2001, 08:13 AM

IMO the expense of a quality vise monted on a stout workbench is money well spent. Either find a used good quality vise (the Chinese stuff is junk) or make the investment in a new one. I installed a heavy duty, 5-1/2 inch wide jaw, swiveling base Wilton (it mounts with four 5/8" SAE Grade 5 bolts!) on my work bench. My friends thought it was excessive when I installed it but not anymore.

Jim

Rufblackbird · 12-29-2001, 01:09 AM

THANK YOU rvanderpyl! I also believe that Taiwan does produce some great stuff...mostly electronics. I bet more than half the components in your computer is made in Taiwan! Sorry...I was born in Taiwan...have to defend it somehow someway. China, on the other hand, has really become the supply of cheap labor, though it may not last long!

Fuel filter made in Taiwan? Not likely. But for tools? Anything not American or German is usually not as good in my book.

beepbeep · 12-29-2001, 05:41 AM

Well i don't have any problems with "ethnicity" of tools as long as they do the job...

Now about fuel filter...

I changed fuel filter in my 930 and it was a real PITA!! First of all, intercooler is in a way... and there is not enough place to swing a wrench enough to undo the fittings. (i was just rounding them off during the process).

What i did is to detach whole filter assembly together with pipes that go to pressure-accumulator (it was easier), then move pipes to new filter and then assemble all back together...

It took me 4 hours!

If it was made in Taiwan? Hmm...i don't know ...it said "MAHLE" on it... :-)

Doug Zielke · 12-29-2001, 07:47 AM

Alright already!!
Everything coming out of Taiwan is sweetness and light.
Taiwan=good. China=bad. India=$hit.

Sleazy · 12-29-2001, 04:04 PM

...and "Mahle" is german.

greetings
Sleazy

Roland Kunz · 12-30-2001, 10:59 AM

Hello

Bosch is a "Worldcompany" and things are engeneered and produced by Bosch at the same qualitylevel worldwide. Bosch has big branches all over the world from the US to Taiwan.

Maybe the package was made in germany and the filter built in Taiwan but its a Bosch part and has the Bosch waranty and if it is a faked part ( Well many fakers using good brands like Bosch or Mann&Hummel even Ford europe had faked parts ( ironically they where sold by the Ford dealers

)) Bosch is interesstet to bring those guys out of the buisiness and people saleing faked parts get in trouble as well.

Grüsse

John Brandt · 12-31-2001, 09:42 AM

When my good friend and college roomate from Taiwan would go shopping for things, he would always inspect the item for the country of origin and say "this one's from Taiwan, ROC...that means it is very, very *****ty. I will find one made in Germany"

Rufblackbird · 01-02-2002, 06:16 PM

Interesting enough, my parents are the same. Well, almost the same. Every time they see "Made in Germany" they go "OOh this is good stuff, it's made in Germany". If it's "Made in Taiwan" we go "Oh not bad, at least not made in China". If I had to choose, it'd definitely be the German made one.